


Dead Bugs? Or Love Bugs?

by PuyoLover39



Series: Insect Adventures [2]
Category: Bug Fables (Video Game)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Violence, Death, Falling In Love, Feelings Realization, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mutual Pining, Not Beta Read, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 08:29:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29450817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PuyoLover39/pseuds/PuyoLover39
Summary: When the team picks up a request that offers little to no rewards for finding a lost pet, they end up getting themselves in way over their heads and losing big for it. Along the way, Leif realizes he is closer to Kabbu than he first thought and must deal with his feelings and protect Kabbu while also dealing with the mission at hand. Will he work up the courage to confess? Or does fate have other plans for him?
Relationships: Kabbu & Leif & Vi (Bug Fables), Kabbu/Leif (Bug Fables)
Series: Insect Adventures [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2163252
Comments: 11
Kudos: 14





	Dead Bugs? Or Love Bugs?

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone actually reads this, then thank you, you are a legend. This thing is sooo long and such a mess over all. I wanted to go back and tweak some things, but then I realized that would just make it even LONGER. So I stopped myself. This may be a tad darker than I originally planned, but hey, depression will do that to ya.

It had been a few days since Kabbu had fallen ill due to his body being weakened by Kali's strange powder, since then Vi had also come down with it, most likely from being in such close quarters with Kabbu. 

Leif, who had been exposed to Kabbu and his illness for far longer than Vi had, somehow managed to not contract it. Of course, this immediately earned the bee's ire, as she thought it unfair that she had gotten sick for trying to be nice. 

The blue one swiftly proposed the hypothesis that perhaps he had failed to contract it because he was  _ incapable  _ of contracting anything. As he was not like other bugs, Leif assumed that he was just unable to catch any kind of viruses, after all he had ice magic and the cordyceps that left his husk at a temperature that normal bugs would fall ill at. 

But in the end it held little importance, as the moth ended up tending to both bugs until Kabbu had fully recovered and completely took over nursing the younger insect. Now, Vi herself had almost completely recovered from the cold and was constantly badgering her team to accept a mission. 

_ "Taking a day off once in a while is fine, but all of us taking a whole week off means that none of us were making any money! I mean, we spent a bunch this week buying medicine and food and stuff, so we definitely need to make that back, or else we will have to dip into personal savings just to get by. And I am NOT dipping into my personal savings again, not after the 400 berries I spent on Jaune." _

Was what she had said to convince her team to fulfill a request or two. So they started off simple, delivering the umbrella that Vi received from Madeline to Eremi to help her combat the heat. It was quick, easy, and paid a well enough amount of 50 berries. Which got the team to agree to another mission, finding Ann's lost pet.

The young ant girl had come crying to her trusted babysitter Kabbu the night before, saying that her precious pillbug had suddenly run off and left the town. She said she had attempted to give chase, but was eventually prohibited from going any further as it seemed to be heading toward Snakemouth den. 

The poor child was distraught, crying her little eyes out as she clung to the scarab. Kabbu tried valiantly to comfort her, but the thought of her pet possibly being in such a dangerous place had him worried too, especially when she claimed she had tried posting a request on the board but didn't have much to give in terms of a reward, so no teams were biting. She said she even considered trying to dig a tunnel to sneak out and find her beloved pet herself.

That shot Kabbu's concern meter through the thin cardboard roof of his shared home. Vi was none too happy to be taking a quest that didn't offer a good reward, but once Kabbu promised to give her some of his own personal berry savings, she quieted down. Besides, she would be lying if she said she weren't a bit worried for the girl and her pet too. Of course, Leif was already fully onboard the second the said her pet was missing, that man had a serious weakness for cute things.

So Team Snakemouth set forth to find and retrieve the tiny pillbug, following it's equally tiny footprints, which sadly did indeed lead to the place of origin for their team name. Leif was far from pleased to have to return to the place once again, especially since he had pieced his past together and recalled the horrors he faced in the place, but more than anything he was upset that the unprotected pillbug was in there somewhere.

Thank Venus that there were no researchers down there to experiment on the poor thing. But there were still dangers in that cave, including the very thing he housed inside his body, and Venus only knew if the pillbug would be able to take the cordyceps like Leif himself had.

With no time to spare, the 3 explorers made haste as they dashed into the den, still tracking the footprints of the smaller bug. It was interesting how even though the team had journeyed into this same den multiple times before, there were still new tunnels to follow and explore now, as the footprints led them to an empty area deeper in that none of them could recall seeing before. 

It took a while, but finally the team stumbled upon a large room that held a long white brittle material that none of the party could identify, and there feasting upon that material was the very thing they had been searching for.

"There it is! Aha! Gotcha! Cool, now let's bring this little guy back to his owner and then you can pay up Kabbu!" Shouted the bee, as she flew over and picked the creature up.

"Yes, but why did he come all the way out here anyway? And what in the name of Venus was he eating over there? I suppose it doesn't matter, let's just get out of here before anything happens."

As if summoned by Kabbu's words alone, the room began to shake. Clumps of dirt and small pebbles falling all around them as they heard a hissing sound, when suddenly, from above, something shot out at Vi.

"Vi! Watch out!"

The girl's head spun in time to see a snake coming right at her as she tossed the pill bug at Leif and leapt out of the way of its jaws and to safety.

"Phew! That was close! Thanks for the heads up Kabbu." She spoke, as she trained her eyes on her foe.

"Vi! MOVE!" Cried the beetle once more, as a rock came hurtling down from the ceiling.

"Huh? Why? What is it Kab-"

As her eyes met the rock, she clamped her mouth shut and turned to fly away, only to see the snake rearing back for another strike. Then, it was too late. The rock came crashing down on top of her. 

"NO!"

"VI!!" 

Both bugs were horrified. They had just watched their teammate get crushed by a boulder. She had saved the pillbug, but at what cost?

"VI! OH NO! HOLD ON VI, I'M COMING!"

"KABBU, NO!"

As the valiant knight attempted to charge forward to try and remove the boulder from his friend, a blue arm shot out, a hand latching onto his own and holding him back.

"LEIF!! LET GO! WE HAVE TO HELP VI! SHE'S STUCK AND SHE COULD BE HURT!"

"NO, KABBU, WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE, NOW!"

"WE CAN'T JUST ABANDON VI WHEN SHE NEEDS US LEIF! WE'RE A TEAM, WE HAVE TO-"

"KABBU SHE'S DEAD! She..she could not have possibly lived through that, and there is no point in us meeting our ends here as well. That snake is too much for the two of us to handle alone, especially while trying to protect Ann's pet. We need to retreat."

"NO! YOU DON'T KNOW THAT, SHE..SHE COULD JUST BE HURT REALLY BADLY, WE COULD SAVE HER!"

"OR WE COULD DIE TRYING! Kabbu, please, we...I cannot lose you. You and Vi were all that I had until I reconnected with Leif's family. Now Vi is dead. We cannot lose you too. Please, we can come back with Stratos and Delilah, or even Zasp and Mothiva, we don't care. But for now, please, just...lets leave."

The heavy hitting words coupled with the tears that began rolling down the scared moths face as his erratic breathing shook his entire frame, they shot through Kabbu like an arrow. As much as he didn't want to leave Vi right now, especially since that snake was still sniffing around the boulder she was pinned under, he couldn't find it in himself to refuse the poor bug.

Leif had lost just as much, if not more, than Kabbu himself. Leif was trembling like a child, crying his eyes out from not only possibly just losing one more teammate, but at the fear of the potential of losing another. He held the pillbug tightly to his chest with one arm, safely out of view under his wings, while the other arm was now snaked around one of Kabbu's own, clinging to him like a lifeline.

"Please...don't leave us. No more. We don't want to lose any more. Not you Kabbu. Please, let's go."

His mouth felt as hot and dry as the desert, he couldn't bring himself to speak. So he just nodded as the moth gave a shuddering thank you and dragged the beetle along. Looking down at their entwined hands showed that at some point Leif had encased him in a bubble shield, a very thick one too. 

Despite the fact that Leif himself did not have one, he could make out a faint outline of one under his wings, had he shielded the pillbug too? Was Leif really so afraid of losing him? Of course he was, Leif had said it himself, he didn't have much and he didn't bother to branch out aside from his team and his family. 

Kabbu could understand that. Leif was a rather closed off person, after all the things he'd been through it made sense to guard one's heart and not get close to many others. It was a way to protect himself from hurt like this, losing someone again. This despair, it was not something that someone could get used to, no matter how many times one faces it. 

Kabbu couldn't help but think of Bit and his master.

"Kabbu, are you okay? Please, speak to us."

The beetle jolted slightly, shook from his thoughts as he realized they were now just outside the entrance of Snakemouth den. Huh, ironic how fitting the name was. If only they had known that before entering it once more.

"Kabbu. Please, we know you are sad about Vi. So are we. But we need to know if you're injured."

Once again, Kabbu was drawn from his morbid thoughts and refocused on his teammate. Leif's tortured face was so close to his own, there was barely an inch between them, as they stood there holding hands and gazing at each other.

"O-Oh.. Oh, yes, I am fine Leif. I am uninjured. Your bubble shield protected me entirely from any falling debris in those tunnels. What about you? You did not shield yourself, I noticed, are you alright?"

The moth heaved a Harvey sigh of relief, his entire body sagging a bit as if the only thing that had been pushing him was the adrenaline rush from worrying over Kabbu's safety, and now that he knew he was alright, he had no strength left whatsoever. 

"We are fine, we shielded the small one too. Let us get her back to Ann immediately so that we can alert the queen of what has happened and return with a larger force."

"Yeah."

Even though they were out of danger for the moment, Kabbu couldn't help but notice that Leif still had yet to release his hand and he was also still shuddering. The poor moth must really be shaken up, normally he would be trying to think of something to say to cheer him up, and Vi would be trying to lighten the mood by teasing one of them.

But what could he say to cheer the other up when he himself was still shaken as well? And Vi wasn't here, she was trapped back in that horrid cave with a giant snake, hurt or worse. 

Electing not to say anything at all, the beetle code to provide physical comfort instead and gave a tight squeeze to the cold hand holding his own warm one. Without hesitating or even looking back, he felt the cold one squeeze his back.

"Here you go Ann, we have found your precious pet. Please, do not lose him again."

"My pillbug! Thanks Kabs, Leif! I really appreciate it, sorry I don't have much to give you, I managed to get an advance on my allowance though, so here. Take it!" 

The young girl, now gently holding the pillbug to her chest with one arm, reached out with her other arm offering them 10 berries. Kabbu couldn't help the tears that erupted from his eyes. No reward was worth what Vi may have just sacrificed for this mission.

"Uh, Kabs? What's wrong? Is it not enough? I'm sorry I couldn't give you more. Hey, wait a minute, where's Vi? She would usually be the one complaining about pay wouldn't she?"

As Kabbu broke down wailing in the plaza like the wounded bug that he was, Leif reached out his free hand to take the berries from the child.

"No, this is sufficient, thank you Ann. Unfortunately, we can't stay and talk, we must speak with the queen immediately. We had to leave Vi back at Snakemouth den. The entire village could be in danger, there is a snake in that cave. Please get yourself home safe, alright?"

"O-Oh. Yeah, okay. I will. Thanks again you guys."

Leif nodded at the girl as she ran home clutching her pet the whole way, before turning to Kabbu and placing his other hand on his shoulder.

"Kabbu, if you are not up for this, we can speak to Elizant ourselves while you rest at home. You do not have to try to force yourself to conceal your feelings, we know you are the emotional type."

"Yes, I believe that is a good idea. It would not do to go screaming and crying at the queen after all she has done for all of us… Thank you Leif."

The moth nodded, his hand on his shoulder squeezing as the hand holding the beetle's green one let go and slid up to his face. 

Kabbu could read the pain and sympathy swimming in those vacant white eyes of his friend's. The same eyes that normally seemed to be void of any emotion, and even a moment earlier when talking to Ann, they were so carefully concealed. But now they were on full display. 

The moth suddenly leaned forward and embraced the smaller bug, whispering a promise that he would come to collect him once talks with the queen were done and they were ready to depart with a larger party. Kabbu could only nod solemnly and mutter a small thank you in return.

Briefly, he considered running back to Snakemouth on his own while Leif was busy speaking to the queen, but he couldn't do that to his friend. If he went back and got himself killed, Leif would be all alone. So instead he waited for the moth to release him and trudged his way to their empty dwellings so he could throw himself down onto his bed.

Meanwhile, Leif sadly watched the sullen bug go, feeling his chest constrict painfully as the distance between them grew. As depressed as he was to have most likely just lost Vi, he was more relieved to still have Kabbu than anything else. 

Which was terrible, she was still so young, only 16 years of age and already she had been through so much. Fighting in a war that should not have been her problem yet, even if she had chosen to take part. Losing her life to protect a younger child's pet. He should have known better.

Even if the beast had not possessed any magic for him to sense, he still should have expected  **something** . Tunnels do not just appear out of thin air after all, and that was very clearly shedded snake skin that the troublesome little pillbug had been munching on.

Ah, but now isn't the time for this, is it?

Thought the moth as he shook his head free of distracting thoughts.

For now, he had a job to do. He could worry about blaming himself later. Right now he needed to speak to Elizant and warn the kingdom of the threat residing in the previously cleared den.

Since defeating the wasp king and being knighted, the members of Team Snakemouth had gotten more perks. They may not receive a steady paycheck, but they were trusted and allowed to approach the queen whenever they wanted or needed to without need of supervision.

"Elizant, we have news you must hear." 

The queen, who had been speaking with Maki, immediately stopped, turned to Leif and stood.

"What is it Leif? Is something the matter?"

"There is our queen, we are afraid that Snakemouth den is being inhabited by quite the beast. A large snake to be precise."

"Heavens, that is grave news indeed. Such a dangerous beast and so close to our kingdom, we will have to deploy teams immediately to vanquish the creature. And what of Kabbu and Vi? Where are they? I do hope they did not perish to the beast upon discovery."

Leif shook his head in a negative fashion.

"No our queen, it is sadly far more distressing. We are unsure of the status of Vi, she had to be left behind in the den as a boulder fell upon her, trapping her there. We did what we could, casting a bubble shield over her just before the rock hit her, but we do not know if our shields are strong enough to have saved her or not. All we could do was flee to ensure Kabbu's safety and report back to you."

"Goodness! She is still stuck in there with the snake?!"

"Yes, your highness."

"Then we must organize a party and ready ourselves for battle now. Until we have a body in front of us to prove otherwise, she is to be presumed alive and in immediate need of aid! The bee kingdom would never forgive us if we simply left one of their own to perish. Leif, I want you and Team Maki to head to the cave now. I will mobilize Team Slacker and tell them to follow you as well. Take care everyone, I will accept nothing less than zero deaths."

"But my queen, are you certain you will not be needing me by your side?"

"Yes Maki, I am sure. Now everyone, GO!"

"Yes queen!"

With a mighty shout and a wave of her hand, Leif and Team Maki tore out of the throne room. The moth then sent Team Maki on ahead as he explained that he had to swing by his home first to retrieve Kabbu. 

"Kabbu, are you feeling any better? We have just finished speaking with Elizant. She has given us the aid of Team Maki and Team Slacker in order to best the beast. We told Maki and the others to go on ahead so we could get you. We are ready to depart now if you are."

The beetle didn't answer, laying still and silent in his bed with an arm over his eyes.

"...Kabbu?"

The moth was instantly concerned that Kabbu had done something drastic, like purposefully intake poison or something because of his grief and shame, that is until he saw the tears streaming down his dear friend's face. His fears quickly shifted to sympathy as he strode over to the bed.

"Kabbu… Are you okay?"

"No. No Leif, I'm afraid I'm not. I thought I had gotten stronger, but I still couldn't protect a single person. I failed Master, I failed Bit, and now I've failed Vi too. All I have ever wanted to do was help and protect people. When we defeated the Wasp King, I thought that was it, that I had finally gotten strong enough to face my past and make peace with it so I could move forward. But I was wrong, it has come back to haunt once more! To remind me that I am a weak failure who can't save anyone. Not even one girl!"

"..."

"I..I couldn't even save  _ myself _ . If you weren't there to save me, I would have surely died as well. I am beginning to feel as though I may not even deserve to be on this team."

Suddenly, Leif's face hardened. He was unsure why he felt so projective of the younger male, or why he felt so much closer to him than anyone else, but he did know this. This disbelief in one's self, the doubt and pain. Perhaps he and Kabbu were kindred spirits, but he could not, he  _ would not _ allow Kabbu to feel the same way he had.  _ Ever _ .

"Now that is far enough Kabbu, we will not stand here and listen to you belittle yourself."

"Ah, you are right Leif. My apologies. I shouldn't be making you listen to this and waste your time. You came to get me for a mission, right? We'd best not keep them waiting."

As the beetle stood and attempted to walk past the other bug, Leif caught his wrist in his hand and spun him around until he was backed up against the wall.

"No, let them wait a moment longer. If you go into battle with this toxic mindset, you will only be a danger to yourself and everyone who is depending on you."

Kabbu gazed down a the hands that moved to press into his shoulders as he was held against the wall, before slowly looking up with empty eyes at his teamm-.... his partner.

"Listen to us Kabbu, what happened today was by no means your fault. We should have been more careful, all of us. VI should not have flown off recklessly, we should have known that those tunnels were not natural, we should have known that was freshly shed snake skin. You were the only one who was still being cautious, you never took your eyes off of her, and you warned her both times. We should have used our ice magic to try and freeze the snake, or tried to shoot the falling rock to knock it away from her. We are a long ranged fighter, you are not. We also should not have taken such a risky mission when Vi was just getting over an illness, that was reckless and cocky of us. We believe Vi was still a little sicker than she let on, her reaction times were a bit slower than usual, and she didn't even think to try attacking the snake, and first instinct is  _ always  _ to fight, not flee. She should have been more honest with us about how she was feeling. But regardless, accidents happen, and we cannot control others. This was not your fault. You cannot change the past, but if you chin up now and keep a level head, then we can both go do our best to free her. If it turns out to be too late, at least we can hold a proper funeral and burial for her. Now, let's go. They are waiting for us, and the queen will not accept failure. She has ordered that none of us die and we are not return without Vi." 

As he finished his speech, the moth moved his hand to Kabbu's cheek, ensuring the scarab maintained eye contact and saw how serious he was. When he received a solemn nod from the other, he responded with a nod of his own but did not remove his hand. He wasn't sure why, but he felt like the situation called for something more, perhaps another hug? 

Leif shook his head and shifted the hand from Kabbu's cheek to the top of his head and gave him a few quick pets before patting him once and moving out. Leaving a very confused and tad bit flustered Kabbu to blink owlishly as he followed the taller male.

Seriously? What was up with Leif today? Was he just that pathetic and pitiable that the moth felt the need to give him all this attention and physical comfort? Or was all the affection simply because Leif himself needed the reassurance that Kabbu was indeed still there and he had not in fact lost both his teammates in one day.

Was Leif even aware that he was being so touchy today? He had to be, right? He was never  _ this _ hands on with him or Vi. Sure, he would occasionally pat Vi on the head, or let Kabbu because he thought he was cute, but-

Wait...No. no, no, no. No way. Was Leif acting like this because he.. He couldn't be right? He had a  _ wife,  _ a  _ child _ . He couldn't possibly, he couldn't  _ like-like  _ Kabbu, could he? 

Kabbu raised his head to stare in shock and embarrassment at Leif's back as the moth led the way back to Snakemouth. No, that was just ridiculous. There was just no way Leif was interested in him. But, it would explain the need to protect Kabbu, the constant physical contact, the way he was so in time with Kabbu's emotions and what he needed. 

Leif had seemed downright furious when Kabbu had spoken poorly of himself back in their house after all, that was something you would do for a crush, right? Ah, this really wasn't the time for this kind of thinking. 

"There you guys are! Finally! You kept Maki waiting this long even though we are here to help you save your teammate that you guys abandoned in the first place." 

Kabbu flinched as he was brought back to reality by the words of Maki's sister. Leif's eyes quickly flicked over his shoulder to catch Kabbu recoiling in on himself. 

"We appreciate your aid, but please mind your tongue when you do not know the full story Kina."

The female Mantis flinched back in shock, surprised that Leif would speak to her like that. She was about to yell at him and really let him have it when her brother stepped in.

"He's right Kina, we are supposed to be working together here to defeat the beast in this den. We can't expect Team Snakemouth to do everything alone. They made a tactical retreat and appealed to the queen for aid. They did everything by the books, so it's our job to help them, not judge them. Now, let's go. Team slacker should be joining us shortly."

"Well, okay, if you say so Maki."

As Team Maki headed inside, Leif turned to Kabbu and gestured him inside with a tilt of his head.

"Come Kabbu, we'd best not get separated from them, they will be needing us in battle. Even a second could cost us big, so stick close to us."

"Right."

Upon entering the cave, the express found their back up looking around almost hesitantly, before Yin spoke up.

"So, um, which way did you guys go earlier that led you to the snake?"

The two males shared a lost look, having a silent conversation between themselves, asking one another if the other recalled the path they took only to find out that neither of them did. 

"Uh, we are not sure of the direction, we simply followed the tracks of the pillbug we were searching for."

"A...A pill bug?"

Leif nodded, lifting a hand to point to the mostly brushed away footprints from earlier. 

"Yes, they are a bit destroyed due to our hasty retreat, but we should still be able to follow them, or at the very least we should be able to follow our own steps."

Maki ignored the shocked and confused looks on the girls faces and nodded.

"Sounds good, lead the way then Team Snakemouth."

Leif hummed in acknowledgment, swiftly taking up the head of the party, with Kabbu following closely behind, while Maki brought up the rear of the group to take care of any potential foes that may try to sneak up on them.

It didn't take long to find their way back to where it had all happened, they could feel the ground and walls trembling violently, as if something large and heavy were ramming into the walls repeatedly.

"Okay, it's obviously just around this corner, so let's go over the battle plan. Kabbu, you will go and remove the rock pinning Vi while we all fight the snake. If you are unable to lift the rock or find a way to break it without doing any additional harm to Vi, then you can join in. Kinda, and I will be taking up the front. Leif, you are behind us. Yin, you stay as far back as you can and support us. If we can't bring this thing down ourselves, that's alright, don't panic or try anything reckless. Team Slacker will be arriving to help us out soon, so we don't need to worry if this beast turns out to be tougher than we thought. Remember, the queen has ordered no casualties, so everyone remain on your guard. Now, let's go!"

Immediately, the team's raced around the corner, taking their places as the beast slithered around the boulder it had been poking around, and came at them with a vicious cry. 

Kabbu could see the exact second that the battle began, and though he wished he could be over there, fighting alongside his friends and comrades, he had more pressing matters to deal with. 

Pressing matters as in the rock pressing his dear friend Vi into the ground. The beetle took a deep breath, wedged his horn underneath the hard chunk of earth, and attempted to raise his head to lift the boulder, only to be met with failure. 

It was no use, he knew that, it was just too large and too heavy for one bug to move on its own. He worried that if he kept trying, he would snap his horn, which would leave him unable to fight and would render him completely useless to his team.

...Except, that wasn't true, was it? Tanjerin had managed to throw a fairly large rock out of his way on his own, had he not? And with a broken horn no less. If that small bug could do all that on his own, then what was Kabbu doing feeling sorry for himself and fearing the worst? 

With renewed determination, he tried again. Wedding his horn under the rock and lifting with all he had. Refusing to stop, even as pain began exploding all across his body, neck, and horn. He couldn't help but cry out from the exertion and hurt that he felt, which drew the eyes of his moth friend.

Leif was doing his best to support his allies and freeze the snake in its place, but he couldn't help but keep an eye on Kabbu the entire time. Sure, he knew he was the one in the most danger, as he was the one fighting the snake, but he wasn't the  _ only  _ one fighting the beast. Leif had Team Maki working with him, but Kabbu was working all on his own. 

What if the snake had children? One could come out of nowhere and attack Kabbu while he had nobody watching his back. Suddenly, he heard Kabbu let out a pained cry, immediately drawing his attention from the battle and to Kabbu, his hand already raised and poised to cast a shield around him if need be. 

Only to find that he was not being assaulted by anything, no, instead he found that his dear friend was struggling to move the boulder on his own. Leif had been afraid this would happen, that Kabbu would not be able to move the rock himself but would nearly kill himself trying. He so desperately wanted to rush to his side to help. To stop him from hurting himself, or help move the object with him. 

But he couldn't, he had to help bring down this beast, and both he and Kabbu knew that. Maki had even made sure to tell them all not to do anything reckless if they couldn't succeed because more aid was on the way! 

**Curses, Kabbu. What are you thinking? Just because you can shatter a rock, doesn't mean you can lift a boulder alone!**

Just as he was about to call out to the beetle, to force him to stop, he heard Maki's almost guttural scream. White eyes swiveled on a dime to see Yin collapsed on the ground, one of her wings nearly torn from her back. Looking up, he could see Maki slashing aggressively at their foe, his face contorted in rage. 

Even Kina seemed to have a fire lit under her, her daggers flying through the air appeared to be thrown with even more vigor. And yet, despite all their effort, the snake only had to swing its tail to knock them away.

"Leif! Hurry, we need you to freeze it!"

"Yeah, what are you doing?! Hurry up and ice that thing already!"

All the talk of freezing things must have gotten to the poor moth, as Leif himself froze up. He didn't know if he was even  _ capable  _ of entirely freezing something so large. Sure, his magic was powerful and all, and he was quite skilled at it from the start. But this beast was larger than his whole house!

"We...we are unsure if we can, but we will give it our best effort!"

Blue hands rose up to summon forth the frost magic that swelled within him, forcing himself to focus only on the beast before him, the stoic moth took aim and fired. He gave it his all, he was sure he did, however he only managed to encase the head. 

"What the heck?! We  _ told  _ you to freeze  _ all  _ of it! Not just its  _ head  _ you idiot!" 

"We tried, this was the best we could do. This beast is quite massive after all."

"Ugh, yeah right! You were probably just distracted, so you messed up!"

"...What could we possibly have been distracted by? We do not wish to die, you know. We truly gave it our all."

"UGH! WHATEVER! I bet you would have frozen the whole thing if it had been your precious boyfriend who was in trouble instead of us."

"....Our...who?"

"Kina! Leif! Enough! We can't beat this thing on our own! It's too powerful! We must fall back, now while it is frozen! Kabbu! Let's go! We're leaving! Kabbu!"

It seemed as though Kabbu was not listening, so focused on his task that he shut out the rest of the world and physically could not hear Maki's order.

"Kabbu?... KABBU! Can he not hear us? Kabbu! Get out of there!"

The sound of ice cracking flooded the area, covering up the screams from Maki as he lifted Yin into his arms. It would not hold for long, especially with how the creature was thrashing around and slamming it's head into the walls of the cave. Heck, that monster could probably shatter it in a second with one lash from its tail if it had the thought to try.

"Kabbu! Please, we will return for Vi shortly, the queen will have our heads if we lose you too!"

"Yeah! And I'm not letting Maki die for you! Get your butt over here!"

Yet again, he appeared not to hear, or to simply be ignoring their words. 

"Are you SERIOUS?! IS HE IGNORING US?! That's it! I swear I'm gonna-"

* _ CRASH _ *

Ice shards cut through the air all around the explorers, nearly cutting a few of them as they rained down upon them. A deafening hiss erupting from the mouth of the now freed serpent, its eyes quickly landing on the bug whose back was turned to it.

"...Oh no. Kabbu!! You fool! RUN!"

"Welp, he's dead."

"...KABBU!"

Just when it looked like it was curtains for the knight, the beetle jumped to the side, letting the creature get a mouth full of stone. The monster jerked back in shock, shaking it's head around in an attempt to dislodge the object from its jaws.

"AHA! IT WORKED!" Cheered the green one, his eyes blazing with pride.

"...Kabbu, did you..purposely ignore our calls to you, all in the slim chance that the beast would target you if it manages to escape Leif's magic? THAT WAS INCREDIBLY RECKLESS AND DANGEROUS! The  _ exact  _ thing I warned you NOT to do!"

"..Oof. I know Maki, I am sorry. But I could not leave her here again, even if she is dead. It was foolish, I know, it but I just had a feeling it would work out. So I had to try."

"Well, we are just happy that you are okay. But please...do not do something that endangers you like that again. Especially without warning us first. We were seconds away from using the last of our magic to cast a shield on you."

"My apologies Leif, I'm sure you are exhausted from trying to freeze something so large, it was not my intention to make you feel like you needed to waste your energy shielding me."

"Ugh! Can we drop it already?! What are we gonna do about that thing?! It's got a rock in its mouth, but it's still alive! We were ordered to slay it, and get that little friend of yours out of here dead or alive!"

"Right! I'll go grab her! Leif, you said you were low on energy, but do you think you can make an ice platform to carry Yin and Vi out?" 

The moth nodded, watching his friend as he rushed over to the small crater and lifted out the mangled body of their other teammate. Leif couldn't help but wince at the damage he saw, looks like his shield wasn't much help after all.

As the beetle pulled the teen to his chest, a loud crushing noise filled the silence, bits and pieces of rock coming down like a hailstorm.

"Th..This beast has actually managed to crush that boulder with its jaws!" Warned Maki.

"No way! It bit through it?!" Cried Kabbu, as he clutched the body of his fallen ally tighter in fear.

"Unbelievable! Won't anything stop this monster?"

"Oh you have got to be freaking KIDDING me!!"

Kabbu, who was closest to the fangs, saw the creature lunge at him and instinctively moved his body to shield Vi's broken form, despite knowing the beast would likely just swallow them both.

"KABBU! NO!"

And just like that, he was gone. His only other teammate, his best friend, just...gone. Swallowed whole by the scaly monster in front of him. If only he had been able to freeze the blasted thing properly! They could have worked out a more solid plan! Or...Or Team Slacker could have arrived to help them finish it off! 

**Kabbu...I'm sorry. We should not have let you leave our side. We should have shielded you, protected you, looked after you better like we swore to! We let you down...and now we're alone. Perhaps it would have been better for us if we had simply never woken up from that web...**

"What do we do now Maki? That thing got Vi  _ and  _ Kabbu! There's no point in all of us dying! I'm sure the queen will understand, let's just get out of here! We can blame Team Slacker if we have to for not showing up!" 

As if on cue, a barrage of explosives were hurled at the blasted serpent, followed swiftly by a strong blast of air pressure that knocked the monster into the walls with a loud thud. All eyes turned to the tunnel they themselves had come from, in time to see Stratos and Delilah confidently saunter in.

"SLACKERS! Where the heck  _ were  _ you?! You're  _ LATE _ !!"

"Apologies, Team Maki, we had just returned from a scouting mission and received a briefing from the queen. We got here as soon as we could." Spoke the mosquito.

"Yeah, looks like we've got ourselves a strong opponent on our hands here. Good, I was starting to get bored." Quipped Stratos, an air of confidence, yet not cockiness, wafted off the larger bug as he crossed his arms.

It was a huge relief to know that backup had arrived, aside from Snakemouth themselves, Team Slacker was the strongest explorer squad in all Bugaria. They would be able to defeat the snake no problem, especially if they had help. So that meant that Leif and the others were no longer in any danger.

But Kina was right, they were late,  _ too late _ . What was the point of Leif being saved? He had just lost his entire team in one day, again. This wasn't the first exploring unit that he had lost, he had already had to deal with that pain once, he had forced himself to move on and become friendly with a new team. He didn't want to do that again.

Worst of all, his undead heart felt like it had just exploded watching Kabbu get eaten. He could feel himself shaking, the pain in his cold chest felt like his insides had been set aflame. They were burning, every part of his deceased and revived body was burning! Vi...Kabbu… 

..Kabbu.

No. He fled earlier to protect Kabbu, and yet he brought him back here and let him die too. He had no reason to run now, he was going to stay and fight! Either he was going to kill that beast! Or die trying. Venus, this must be exactly what Kabbu felt when they were up against the monster that took his teacher and friend from him.

If this was how Kabbu felt, this burning, this overpowering drive, this urge, no, this  _ need _ to kill the thing responsible. Then he certainly did a better job of controlling himself than Leif was doing. He was doing all he could to not burst into tears or fly into a rage induced killing frenzy. 

Why? Why did it hurt like this? It didn't feel like this when he first woke up and heard that his old team had long since passed away. Then, he had simply felt numb. When he heard his wife was gone, he had felt sad and empty. Perhaps it was because he had only heard of their passing, instead of witnessing their deaths firsthand like he did now?

No, well, maybe, that could be part of it. But it definitely wasn't all of it. As much as he and Vi enjoyed teasing Kabbu together, and talking about Spy cards, he and Kabbu were so much closer. They had deeper, more meaningful talks. They were just comfortable with each other on some other kind of level. They were just...ugh! Venus! What were they?! Why couldn't he put a name on it?! 

_ "I bet you would have frozen the whole thing if it had been your precious boyfriend who was in trouble instead of us." _

_ "...If it had been your precious boyfriend…" _

_ "...precious boyfriend…" _

_ "...boyfriend…" _

Boyfriend… Boyfriend?! Wait, did she mean, boyfriend as in, like…  _ dating  _ a guy kind of boyfriend?! Like...a  _ lover _ ? Why in all of Bugaria would she even think-

Oh Venus...OH VENUS! That was it, wasn't it? He  _ loved  _ Kabbu, as more than a friend. Is that why everything just felt so comfortable with him? So easy? So... _ right _ . Yeah...Yeah that was it, that had to be it. That was why it hurt so much to even  _ think _ of losing Kabbu, and why it was so utterly devastating to actually lose him. 

That was why he had been so protective, and attentive to the beetle all day. Heh, leave it to him to not realize his feelings until the object of his affections was out of his reach. Of course, now he would have to live with not just the fact that he had lost his team again, but the knowledge that one of those teammates had been something more to him than just a friend as well.

Goddesses, was he that dense? Or was he just dumb? Even  _ Kina  _ could see it before he could! And she isn't even on his team! Oh lord, what if Kabbu had realized it? No, for as knowledgeable as Kabbu was, there was no way he would ever be able to pick up on something like that. He couldn't even tell that Doppel was a ladybug for crying out loud. Heh, bless that dense little saint.

God help him, he was in love with Kabbu and he missed him dearly already. Being with Vi and Kabbu was like being an old married couple with a child. That was something he hadn't gotten the chance to experience with his wife before he died and left her alone to raise their son.

Oh, he supposed he should be worried about being an unfaithful husband for falling for Kabbu, but they promised to be faithful only until death parted them, and she technically did remarry and have multiple children after she remarried. So if it was considered to be unfaithful to fall for someone else after the death of your spouse, then she was unfaithful first. 

Besides, he still loved Muse with all his heart. If she were still alive, he never even would have  _ looked _ at Kabbu. Plus, Kabbu and Muse shared quite a few characteristics, so it could be said that he liked Kabbu because of his similarities to Leif's late wife. ...Oh God, he never even thought about how good looking Kabbu was. Seriously?  _ How  _ did he not have this epiphany sooner?!

No, of course it would be his luck to only realize how in love he was after Kabbu died. God, what was wrong with him? If that snake hadn't devoured him, would he have realized it? Or would Kabbu have to die of old age first for him to pick up on it? Why did he have to suffer like this?! Why couldn't he have just had this  _ one  _ good thing?! 

**Why? Why do I keep losing all those that I love? Who is next? Muze and her family? We can't keep going like this. We can't keep losing those that we hold dear to us. We can't keep letting them get taken from us. We can't keep rolling over and quietly accepting these losses. Now is the time for us to make a scene. To fight!**

Snapping out of his inner monologue and spiraling thoughts of his 2nd lost love, Leif narrowed his eyes at the battle before him to see Delilah fire a few more bombs at the snake's face. The beast recoiled and screeched as it shook itself wildly before it took a swing at all of them with its tail.

As the party was recovering from the strike, Leif watched as the snake began slithering around the walls erratically, he could hear his party cursing the serpent and fretting over how they would kill the thing if they could not hit it due to its unpredictable movements. 

Suddenly, the beast began taking dives at them, striking as it shot from one wall down and across to the other, that wasn't good, it could attack them from all sides this way without them being able to get so much as a hit in. Even Maki couldn't keep up and was forced to a knee by the relentless attacks. They would never be able to avenge Kabbu at this rate!

Not being able to kill it because it won't stay in one place? No...this..this would not do! This snake  _ must  _ pay for what it did to Kabbu! Leif would not be able to go on living if he didn't ensure this thing at least shared Kabbu's fate! 

  
  


With a grunt of exertion, the moth reached his arms above his head and molded his ice magic, thinner, longer, harder! With a scream, he three the thing at the wall, right where the snake was slithering too, just managing to catch the beast by its tail.

The monster screeched in pain and fuery as the icicle pinned the tip of its tail to the wall, but Leif was not satisfied, he was going to ensure that thing stayed still whether it wanted to or not, even if it used every last drop of magic he had in him!

Leif repeated his process 3 more times, each icicle driving through his foe's tail in a line, going further and further up until it could not move any part if it's lower body. Once he was sure that it would not be moving from its spot anytime soon, Leif lowered his arms and panted for air.

"I-Incredible!" Gasped Maki, as he leaned on his sword from his kneeling position.

"I...hah..hah, told you, hnng, that he would get a power up if his boyfriend was in danger! He just doesn't care enough about us to actually try. But, hey! Why didn't you just freeze the whole thing you lazy moth?!"

"We told you, that beast is far too large for us to completely encase in ice, but it has no such immunity to being pinned down by our magic. Sorry for only thinking to try this now Maki..Also, we are done being nice about this, shut your mouth about Kabbu. You have no right to speak of him like that, we were not involved in any such form, and we will not have you dishonor his memory so!"

________

Unbeknownst to any of the bugs outside, Kabbu was perfectly fine inside the belly of the beast. His hard shell was serving to protect him fairly well from the stomach acid that was trying to break down the meal the snake had just swallowed whole. Though, poor Vi was not so lucky. She had a soft body with no naturally protective armor, if he didn't figure out a way out soon, she would dissolve into nothing! 

Vi might be dead, but that didn't mean that he was just going to let her body be devoured by this beast! It occurred to Kabbu that he had yet to gaze upon the young teen's countenance, but he was too afraid of what he might see. He didn't want to break down when he was still needed, once he knew that everyone was safe then he would let himself cry all he needed to.

But how was he supposed to get them out of this squishy prison? Wait a minute, squishy prison? That's right! They were inside a stomach! The walls were made of soft innards, not iron bars! If he could tunnel out of a cell, then he should be able to dig his way out of here too! And seeing as this creature had finally decided to settle down and stop racing around, now seemed like the best time to start!

The beetle clutched the bee tightly as he aimed his horn at the flesh carefully, before thrusting his head upward harshly and piercing the inner walls of the beast's gut. The squelching sound that rang out, accompanied by a gush of red liquid that was soon to stain his face, it was nauseating. 

Enough so that the kind hearted bug almost gave up on his escape plan all together, the only thing keeping him going was the girl in his arms. Swallowing down the bile that rose up his throat, the beetle struck again, and again, and again, until finally bits and pieces of flesh fell away to leave a hole with a small beam of light shining through it.

Suddenly, he could hear voices, Maki, and Kina and...Leif. Oh thank Venus, he was still alright. It sounded like everyone was still alive and relatively fine. Listening closer, it appeared that Leif was upset over something, perhaps the apparent death of his entire team. Though it sounded more like he was upset with Kina, rather than the loss of his team. 

Huh, that hurt to think. One would think that if someone lost their entire team, they would be so upset over that, that they wouldn't be able to waste any time or attention on anything else. Kabbu knew that if  _ he  _ ever lost Leif, he would be far too distraught over it to even realize that other people were present.

Pushing that twinge of sadness and pain down, the knight stabbed his horn into flesh once more, hooking it in and tearing a large chunk out. The hole leading to the outside, before only as big as his horn, was now large enough that he could get his head out. He could now hear Maki pointing out the blood leaking from the snake to the others, as well as Stratos claiming it hadn't been him to cause the blood.

Ah, so Team Slacker was now present and ready to help. Good, that would certainly boost the odds of finishing this poor creature off. Despite the fact that it had eaten him and Vi, it wasn't necessarily evil. It was just a living being that needed to eat to survive, and he felt bad for having to make it suffer so much just for trying to find a place to live and a meal to eat. 

Silently, the explorer made a promise to himself to give the creature a proper send off and to pray to Venus for its poor soul. Just as he did, he saw Delilah appear on the other side of the hole, causing him to flinch back in surprise.

"Ah! Oh, Delilah! You startled me! Here, please, take Vi so that I may get myself out of here. The hole is still too small for me to exit through, but she should fit, and I trust you will be able to keep her safe should This pitiable creature still be alive and on the attack."

The bomber nodded, reaching her arms out to pull the teen through the opening and into her own arms. Kabbu smiled at the fellow explorer, opening his mouth to thank her when the body trembled out of nowhere. Before he could ask what was happening, the mosquito gave him a reassuring smile.

"Fear not Kabbu, that was just Stratos and Maki combining their efforts to lop the beasts head off. You should be able to take your time burrowing your way out now, although Kina and Leif won't stop fighting no matter what any of us say to them, it is like they are so wrapped up in their squabble that they can't even hear us. So perhaps you should hurry out anyway and try your luck at breaking it up. Leif appears ready to kill, or at least freeze her solid if he has any magic left in him."

Hearing that his trusted and beloved comrade who is normally so agreeable, was ready to commit murder, it scared the green one greatly. What must Kina have done to incur such wrath from the moth? Did she slay Chompy or something?! Whatever it was, Leif needed him to stop him from doing something he might regret, so there was no time to delay!

He quickly got to work, ripping the snake apart mercilessly. If it was already dead, then he need not feel bad for being so rough, it couldn't feel the pain anymore, so he could prioritize speed over decency. Within moments, the beetle had dug a hole large enough to pull himself through, and he was once again free and reunited with his friends in all his bloody glory.

As soon as he was out, he made sure to thank Delilah once more, who only nodded at him and jerked her head in the direction of the confrontation as she cradled Vi's form closer. Kabbu followed her head jerk with his eyes and turned to see Stratos holding his blade out in front of Leif to keep him away from Kina, who was being held back by her brother. 

"We have lost all patience you two, knock this off right now, or else Maki and I will be forced to knock you both out and carry you back to the queen for a good talking to."

"Indeed, I agree with Stratos. I'm sorry Kina, but perhaps some form of punishment is needed to stop this unacceptable behavior. A mission is no time to be quarreling amongst ourselves, we need to work together."

Immediately afraid for his partner at the mention of a punishment, Kabbu rushed over and spoke up.

"No! Please! There is no need for anyone to receive any kind of punishment here! I promise, Leif will not cause any further trouble! Right, Leif?"

Whatever it was that had Leif this livid, it seemed to disappear the instant he heard Kabbu's voice, his anger swiftly being replaced with shock, horror, and...hope?

"...K-Kabbu?" He questioned softly, almost hesitantly, as if he were worried he was only hallucinating.

Kabbu smiled and nodded as everyone turned to face him, his previous sadness at thinking Leif was unaffected by his apparent death was completely extinguished by the tears that rolled down his blue cheeks and almost instantly froze into icy drops.

"You..You're alive.. Oh thank Venus! Kabbu!!"

The scarab was entirely caught off guard by the moth launching himself at him. Again, Leif was not normally one for such contact, nor was he prone to such emotional displays. The moth was usually quiet. Only speaking up when necessary or to throw in a smart quip, he was practically the walking definition of calm, cool and collected.

Sure, he had his moments when he was frazzled by magic, or upset about his past or condition, but today was by no means a normal day. It was a day of many firsts actually, so maybe he shouldn't have been so surprised. Heck, he himself would have done the same thing if the tables were turned, but he still wished Leif would have given some warning, at least then they wouldn't have both been sent into the dirt.

"L-Leif! Please! We still have a mission to finish! A-And I am covered horn to toe in blood! You'll get it all over yourself too if you keep this up!"

"We do not care. We can both wash off later. We thought you were  _ dead _ Kabbu. Just...give us a minute to assure ourselves that Maki and Stratos didn't actually knock us out and cause us to dream this moment up." Mumbled the frost moth, as he burrowed his face into the other bug's neck.

"Ah, so you could hear us." Remarked Stratos lazily.

"...Kina, you better not have been ignoring us too. I pray that you were simply so blinded by anger that you couldn't hear us, or else I may punish you myself."

"Excellent work Kabbu, if Leif ever loses it again, we will know to just throw you at him to calm him. Anyway, now that those two are done and Vi has been recovered, we should report back to the queen, right now." Delilah spoke as if she were the mother of the group herding her children back into order, with a calm yet commanding tone that left no room for objection.

"Uh, yes, well, o-of course! Thank you Delilah. Let us make haste, Team!"

Kabbu watched as everyone nodded and began to ready themselves to leave, Maki lifting Yin, Kina putting away her kunai while glaring slightly at the collapsed moth, Stratos strapping his sword to his back, and Delilah leading the way back through the tunnel. Yes, everyone was listening and preparing to leave, except of course, Leif and Kabbu.

"U-Um, Leif? Have you finished confirming that this is no dream of yours? We should be readying ourselves to return to the queen as well, and I can't do that if you continue to press me into the ground."

Leif groaned, his hands fisting into the folds of Kabbu's wings for a moment, until the moth let out a sigh and pulled back with dejected frown.

"Very well Kabbu, what is it that you feel you need to do exactly? Are we not ready to go at any time?"

"Ah, well, I was hoping to give this snake a proper burial or something. I, uh, I kind of felt bad for killing it. I know it ate me and Vi, but it was only trying to survive like the rest of us, and it wasn't sentient enough to know better than to eat us. I'm sure if it had been, we could have reasoned with it!"

Ah, of course that absolute saint of a beetle would feel for his foe's plights and want to pay his respects to his fallen enemy. 

**Hnng! He's so good and kind! We always knew he had a good heart, but a heart of gold is just too much!** Thought Leif as his heart clenched up at the cuteness of his crush's words.

"We see, how adorable. That is so very like you, Kabbu."

"W-What do you mean?! It-its not adorable! It's the honorable thing to do-"

Leif held up a hand and shook his head.

"Either way, we do not have time for it right now, it would take far too long to dig a hole large enough for this behemoth, no matter how good you are at digging. It would be much easier to just burn the thing."

"Hmm, that is true, but then how would we control the flames so that they do not spread to anything else?"

"Mm, you make a good point. Perhaps we could just rain ice around it to put out any flames that escape?"

"HEY! YOU TWO! Walk and talk! You're making Maki wait!"

"A-AH! YES. APOLOGIES, TEAM! WE ARE COMING! Let's go Leif."

As the beetle raced ahead, flustered from being yelled at as if he had been caught doing something private in public, Leif only heaved a fond sigh as he followed after the object of his affections. He wondered if Kabbu would react the same way if they  _ were  _ caught doing something intimate. Ah, he was letting himself get swept away in a romantic fantasy that was highly unlikely to happen.

Still, it isn't entirely impossible, like it would have been if Kabbu was dead. Thank goodness the snake swallowed him whole and that he was alright. He really would have lost it if it had turned out Kabbu had actually died. He was already spiraling pretty far down when Kabbu had emerged from the belly of the bloody beast.

The second he laid eyes on him, he really did think he was dreaming, or perhaps hallucinating. It was like seeing a ghost! He had been so sure the other had died, that seeing him alive and well was as much of a heart stopping feeling he had ever felt since waking up in that web. 

Watching Vi get crushed had brought on a seizing feeling in his chest, like someone had squeezed something inside him. It brought on fear, and demanded quick action and awareness. It was a terrible experience, but nothing like the full on body freezing horror that seeing Kabbu get eaten had caused. 

He felt like he had been impaled again by that blasted scorpion, like he had all the life and power taken from him just from seeing Kabbu taken from him. He was numb for a moment, and empty, but soon he was filled with grief, rage, and despair. Kabbu and Vi were the source of all the good things he had in his life, losing them both was a death sentence. 

Though, he had a feeling that even if Vi had lived he would have been unable to be truly happy, if he didn't have Kabbu, that warm glowing sun that brightened his days and soothes his woes. Kabbu was safe and comfortable, Kabbu knew all of his deepest, darkest secrets, and never judged him for a second. 

Whereas, Vi would tease him even if she really did care, just to keep up appearances. Kabbu was always painfully honest and obvious, that bug couldn't lie about a single thing even if his life depended on it, and that was incredibly relaxing to know. If he asked Kabbu anything, even if Kabbu didn't want to say anything because he thought the answer might hurt Leif, his face would say it all. 

Kabbu is a saint, an open book, a benevolent knight who sought only to help others. He is Leif's, no, he is Team Snakemouths rock. The source of hope that always kept them going through even the toughest of times, all from just a few encouraging words and a smile. 

Goddesses, he was doing it  _ again _ .

**We really must stop zoning out, what if we had been attacked? We must be more vigilant! Lest we lose Kabbu for real due to our inability to block out distractions...Even if he** **_is_ ** **the source of those distractions...Oh Venus, we are going to have to do something about this, perhaps confessing isn't the worst option on the table.**

Before he knew it, his feet had carried him out of the cave and into Elizant the 2nd's grand hall. He could just barely catch sight of Delilah laying Vi's prone form before the Queen, before he heard a sharp hiss from the taller woman.

"She is worse off than I had expected. After all Team Snakemouth has been through, I suppose I deluded myself into thinking them all to be indestructible. However, it seems she is still quite the tough bee. She hangs on by a thread, and in a terrible state, but she is still alive. I already sent Team Mothiva to fetch the best doctor in the land, we can only hope they make it back in time."

Kabbu, who had been kneeling and staring intently at the ground the whole time, as if he were afraid to look anywhere else, lifted his head so fast that Leif could have sworn he heard something pop.

"Forgive my saying so, my Queen, but I believe I misheard. You say she is alive? Are you quite sure? I was the one who pulled her out of that crater, and who held her until I was able to escape the belly of the beast with her!"

"The..belly? You were eaten?" Murmured one of the guards.

"All that time, I never even felt her  _ breath _ . She was just...still, and vulnerable. Please my Queen, I do not mean to question your judgement, but are you absolutely  _ sure  _ that she yet lives? I do not believe my heart could take it if I allowed myself to believe your words, only to find out she is dead later."

Elizant the 2nd nodded gently, one hand gliding down softly to press against the teen's throat, while her other beckoned the green knight forward and gestured for him to do the same.

"You see? It is weak, so very faint and barely there, but still present nonetheless. She is alive, Kabbu, but she needs help immediately. With a pulse that slow, I am afraid she could pass on at any second."

The tears of joy and relief that rolled down the tired beetle's face were as much a relief as the queen's words had been. The scarab scarcely allowed himself to revel in the news however, as not even a moment later he was wiping his face and adopting a more determined stance.

"Then we must make haste! We have no time for a doctor! It would be  _ much _ faster and a safer bet if we just brought her to Venus herself!"

Instantly, Leif flinched and rushed to the beetle's side to slap a hand over his mouth.

"Kabbu! Be quiet! Venus and Aria trusted us to keep the Goddess a secret, remember? We cannot speak of her to anyone."

"Ah! Y-You are right, my apologies Leif. I just..We  _ must _ save Vi. I cannot stand to lose another friend, and I don't think you would handle her passing any better than I."

"...We understand, but please be a bit more careful with what you say."

"What was that you said about Venus, my knight? You would bring Vi to her?"

Seeing as Kabbu was incapable of telling a convincing lie, Leif took it upon himself to squeeze Kabbu on the shoulder to let him know he would handle it, and spun around to be before the queen.

"Forgive us, our queen, Kabbu is simply so stressed about Vi's condition that he did not know what he was saying. Please disregard all that he said, we would truly appreciate a doctor's evaluation and treatment for her." 

The queen ant gazed at the moth skeptically for a moment before sighing and nodding her head slightly.

"Very well Leif. I must admit I am still a tad skeptical, but I know you only have Bugaria's best interests in mind, so I will trust in your words and let it go. Now, please bring Vi back to your home and lay her in a bed, we want to at least make her as comfortable as possible. I will have Mothiva and Zasp bring the physician to your house as soon as they arrive."

"Thank you, our queen. We appreciate your trust and promise we will not betray it. We also promise to watch over Vi to the best of our abilities until the doctor arrives. She saved our life when we first met, so now we will do what we can to save hers."

The ant nodded, dismissing the court with a wave of her hand, leading Kabbu to lift Vi into his arms once more and follow after Leif. The short walk to their shared home was tense and quiet, until Kabbu decided to break the silence.

"It uh, it wasn't Vi."

"Pardon?"

"The one who saved you? From the spider? That wasn't Vi. She uh, actually abandoned me when I faced the spider to protect you. B-But she came back of course! And she did untie both of us so I could carry you out if there! But she wasn't the one who wanted to save you."

It was as if the beetle had just dropped a bombshell on the poor moth, causing him to pause mid step. That made sense. At the time, Vi telling him of her heroics was just something he had to accept. He didn't know her, and it was the best explanation of where he was and who they were that he could get at the time. He had no reason  _ not  _ to believe her. 

But now, knowing the two of them the way he did, it made far more sense for it to have been Kabbu who valiantly gambled his own life to try to save the life of a stranger. He truly is his knight in shining green armor, perhaps if he had known that earlier, he would have fallen for the other bug sooner. Though, he did still believe he was bound to his wife then, and even after finding out he wasn't, he still needed time to mourn and get over her, so perhaps not. But it was still nice to know that Kabbu was willing to risk everything for him, and that he could carry him, hmm, he really is a strong guy...he should really stop thinking about this before he spirals into another pathetic fantasy.

"We see. Then that is even more reason for us to ensure she lives. Then she will owe us and we can give her a proper scolding for not only abandoning the both of us, but also for lying to us about our savior and accusing us of lying about our magic possession. But, why tell us this now?"

"O-Oh! Uh, I'm not really sure actually. I guess I just realized that you never knew what really happened since you told the queen it was Vi who saved you. It didn't really bother me that much when she took the credit, so I didn't bother saying anything back then. And afterwards, well, we had bigger and more important things to worry about."

Shaking off the answer, the moth began walking once more. They were nearly there, and they really ought to be looking Vi over to see what they could do for her. 

"So again, why tell us now? If it did not bother you, then why bother setting the record straight at all?"

"I..I suppose I just...wanted you to know? After making you have to lie to the queen for me, it made me realize you had been lied to as well, and I felt you deserved to know the truth, I guess…"

Something about his words rang true, yet still felt oddly hollow and false at the same time. It was like Kabbu really didn't know why he had spoken up, and he had just offered that up as an answer because it sounded like something he would do and thus believed that must have been it. But if that wasn't the full reason, then why in the world  _ would _ Kabbu bring it up?

Leif chanced a glance over his shoulder as they reached the doorway to their home and saw that the poor knight looked like he was just as confused as he himself felt, and he was blushing...Out of frustration from not knowing the answer perhaps? Or maybe…

"Kabbu, did you tell us the truth because you wanted us to know it was you?"

"H-Huh? What do you mean?"

"We mean, were you hoping to gain something from telling us of your heroic deed? A reward? A favor? Or, perhaps, were you simply hoping to better our image of you? You aren't Vi, she would have told us hoping to gain something in thanks, berries or a medal maybe. But you? You don't care for material possessions or money, and you are always so hesitant to ask for a favor, even if you already did the person you are asking multiple favors that they could never repay. So we can only assume you either need help with something but are too afraid to ask, or you simply wanted us to see you in a better light."

"I-I don't… I do not currently need any favors, but I have no reason to vie with Vi for the other option either. We are friends, and you have always assured me that you love me no matter what. So why would I need to try to improve how you see me?"

Was this is? Was it really so  _ easy _ ? Kabbu was blushing even harder, only making eye contact for a split second before averting his eyes anywhere but Leif's direction. Could it really be so simple as Kabbu feeling the same and all he had to do was point it out to him and confess? 

"Perhaps you no longer view me as a friend."

"WHAT?! That is ridiculous! Why would I not see you as a friend anymore?! I adore you and Vi! You are both my entire world! I would do anything for you two! And I would certainly never-"

Leif held up a hand, smirking gently as he gestured for Kabbu to place their felled comrade on the bed. With a huff, Kabbu did as he was instructed, even going so far as to fluff the pillow and cover her up, before turning to find Leif now leaning against one of the walls. As he padded over, he tried not to be upset or overly think about what the moth had said. 

But seriously? Why would he  _ say  _ that? Venus, why would he even  _ think  _ that? Was he still shaken up over watching his team get swallowed up by that snake? Of course he was, nobody could just get over something like that so quickly and easily. But wait, he didn't...he didn't say what he did because he blamed himself or something, did he?!

The second he was in front of Leif, he went off, rapidly firing out his words in a panic.

"Leif! My dear friend! If you said what you did because you blame yourself for us getting swallowed and think that I am upset with you or blame you and no longer wish to be friends, then please don't worry! I assure you! It was in no way your fault! And I will never want to stop being your friend! I promise! You are stuck with me! A-At least until you no longer want me around, then I will respect your wishes and leave you be."

The somewhat cocky little smirk was no longer anywhere to be found on Leif's face, instead his features had twisted into an expression of shock mixed with sorrow.

Of course Kabbu would panic and think  _ that  _ was what he was hinting at, and of course Kabbu would know he blamed himself for it and would do his best to console Leif about it. But he  _ had  _ failed to protect Kabbu, even after he swore not to let anything happen to him, so it kind of  _ was  _ his fault. 

That however was not what he wanted nor needed to talk to Kabbu about presently. No, what he  _ needed  _ to know was how the scarab truly felt about him. 

"Kabbu, that was not what we were referring to when we asked how you view me."

"It-its wasn't? So that means we are okay then? You do not blame yourself for what happened?"

Shaking his head in a negative fashion, the moth turned until the beetle was the one leaning against the wall.

"That is not the issue right now."

"But if you're saying that, that means you  _ do  _ blame yourself! I cannot allow you to blame yourself for something that wasn't your fault! You had no control over it! Just as you told me that Vi's condition was not my fault, it is now my job to tell you the same! Please, Leif, talk to me about this. My safety is not your responsibility. I am an adult, you are not responsible for-"

With a slam of his hand on the wall beside the green one's face, the room went silent. Slowly, the moth leaned forward and softly pressed his forehead against the wall on the other side of Kabbu's head.

"L-Leif? ...Are you okay?"

"Please, Kabbu. We can talk about that in a moment. But for right now, just let us talk about the previous subject. Does friendship no longer define what you see between us, or what you want to be between us?"

"I'm afraid you have lost me once again, Leif. What else could there be between us? We are teammates, friends, and roommates. We never leave each other's side. What could I possibly ask for more than this?" 

"A relationship."

Seeing Kabbu's face told him all he needed to know that the beetle was still confused, and was likely about to point out that a friendship  _ was  _ a relationship. So he swiftly pulled his hand from the wall and placed it over his mouth. 

"A romantic one, Kabbu. We were asking if you liked us, if you were trying to impress us because you wished to court us. Trying to gain our favor even more and show yourself to us in a new light so that we might take notice of how admirable and loveable you are, how  _ perfect _ you are, so that we would want to date you too. So tell us, do you like us?...Do you like  _ me _ ?"

The moth took a deep breath, feeling Kabbu begin to spasm and sputter into his hand, and replaced his hand back on its spot on the wall to the right of Kabbu's head. He waited a few seconds in tense silence, before leaning his head back to find Kabbu's face was covered in a panicked sweat, as well as a fierce blush. The poor guy looked like he was about to have a heart attack. 

"K-Kabbu? Are you alright? If we were off base, then we are deeply sorry. You don't need to answer us, or worry about trying to spare our feelings. We just thought...how you were acting...nevermind. Please calm down Kabbu, we have already nearly lost you to a snake that we failed to protect you from today, we would be distraught if we actually lost you to your own emotions, those are something we can't do anything about...Although We could freeze you for a moment to give you time to cool off. Kabbu, would you like us to freeze you? Blink twice for yes."

That seemed to snap Kabbu out of his panic attack and bring him back to reality, as he gently yet quickly pushed Leif back, waving his arms and shaking his head the whole while.

"No No, I'm fine! Everything is quite alright Leif! No need for any freezing here! I'm just.. surprised is all. I, uh, hope I'm not misreading this, but..is it possible that  _ you _ like  _ me _ ? And that is why you asked how I feel for  _ you _ ?"

Well, he hadn't been outright denied yet, so that was promising, and he had already put one foot in the grave. May as well just leap into it instead of wasting time trying to inch his way in. If this all turned out to be a mistake, if he read Kabbu all wrong, then he clearly didn't know him as well as he thought he did and definitely didn't deserve him.

"You are not misreading things. We asked because we are interested too, and would love to give things a try, if you want to." 

Kabbu's gasp of surprise, despite the fact that he had already guessed it and that was why he even asked, had Leif rolling his eyes with a tiny fond smile. Some may find it annoying, but he thought it was cute. 

**How can this beetle be so honest and yet be self-conscious at the same time? Does he really not realize how amazing and impressive he is? If he agrees to this, which would be a miracle itself, then we will just have to show him how great he is. It's ridiculous that he can be this perfect and still be insecure with himself.** He thought, smile turning a tad somber as he did so.

"This is so sudden! I had no idea you felt that way! Leif, for how long did you suffer in silence with this affliction?!"

Affliction, ha, of course Kabbu would liken silent pining to being ill. Though, in a way, both were internal pain and had to be ridden out alone unless one decided to open up to someone else for help, in one case a doctor for medicine and the other to the object of the person's affections. 

"We are unsure. We only realized what it was that we felt today. But probably for a while now, you are pretty cool and really cute, Kabbu. You probably had us under your charms from the moment we woke up in your arms to you fussing over us."

"B-Back in Snakemouth Den when we first met?!"

"No...after the scorpion got us. As We recall, you were bawling your eyes out over us, and we believe Vi said something about you holding us and calling our name the whole time until we came too, that is definitely a love inducing moment. Back in Snakemouth, we woke up on the cold hard ground, that's not charming at all Kabbu."

"A-Ah, right, my apologies. B-But I would have done the same for Vi if she had been the one struck by the scorpion! I thought I had just watched you die in front of me, like I had failed to best another beast and lost another friend because of that failure. But worry not! I know you do not see it that way!"

Leif nodded slowly, it seemed like they were both blaming themselves for the same things still, perhaps another reason the two were so close. 

"A-Anyway, while I do believe you about your feelings, and there is definitely a substantial amount of evidence to back it up from today alone, are you sure you are okay with that?"

Puzzled at the odd question, Leif raised a brow so to speak as he tilted his head innocently.

"What do you mean Kabbu?"

"Well, I mean…you had a wife…"

"Muse. And you worry that because of this, we should not like you? Why? Are you thinking I am an unfaithful partner because we want to pursue you? Or is this a gender fear thing? That because we were married to a female before, you believe we cannot like you as much as we claim to because you are male? Or is it..perhaps because  _ you _ are unsettled with our gender?"

"What? No! Of course not! You are a very loyal person Leif! I would never think that of you! Marriage says till death do us part! You were loyal to her all this time! Besides, she remarried and had kids, so why shouldn't you be allowed to fall in love again too?! And, uh, you and I being the same gender does not bother me either. I have never thought about my...preferences before, but I am definitely like you as you are now. And yes, I mean that cordyceps and all Leif. So if I were to like-like you, those things wouldn't bother me then either!"

Like-like, goddesses he is adorable! He is so innocent, like a child experiencing their first crush.

"So it is the second issue then. You feel inferior because you assume that I prefer females seeing as I married one in the previous life." 

Kabbu looked to the ground in shame, hands twisting together nervously as he nodded hesitantly. His insecurities seemingly doubling in size, and all due to something as silly as his own gender, even though that is something far out of his control. 

"Oh Kabbu, you truly are a silly little beetle. Do you really believe we care what gender you are? That we would be so picky and not accept something so insignificant about you, even though you accept everything that we are so easily and wholeheartedly? If your gender were an issue for us, then we would not have fallen for you in the first place. Trust us here Kabbu, we love you every bit as much as we love Muse."

Teary white eyes shot up to meet a pair of larger, much more sure ones, in shock and relief. Green hands flying up to wipe away his own tears and hide his blushing face from his teammate. Such a bold and sure declaration of  _ love  _ to him, it was unexpected to say the least, as well as highly embarrassing and overwhelming. 

"T-Thank you Leif! But, uh, can we please continue this discussion another time? We should really be tending to Vi right now."

As he spoke, he tried to maneuver around the frost moth to get away from the conversation to reach the injured bee's side. He really didn't know what to do, or say in this situation. This day had already been immensely taxing emotion wise, and admittedly he was tired, but as drained as he was, he was also scared.

Did he like Leif like that? What if he thought he did but he wasn't sure and he agreed to date him, only to realize he  _ didn't _ like Leif like that later on? I'd they had to break up, it would make things seriously awkward and difficult for the both of them. After all, they live and work together for their jobs, could he really risk jeopardizing all that?

But Leif seemed so sure of his own love for Kabbu, and Leif had suffered so much in life already, and things would get awkward for Leif anyway if he turned him down. Leif deserved something that he wanted, something nice, someone who wouldn't leave him no matter what and would treat him with the care and consideration and patience that he needed. 

Leif deserved someone who would fully appreciate every part of him and what he had to offer. Someone who would put him first and appreciate his quirks and interests, even if they didn't share them. Someone like him, Kabbu, who loved everyone and treasured everything about them. 

Hmm, did that mean he felt he  _ should _ be with Leif? Would he be upset if he saw Leif with someone else?  _ Did he like-like Leif back? _

A blue hand shot out and caught his shoulder, pulling him back around to face the serious moth once more.

"Vi is as taken care of as she can be right now, neither of us are doctors, there is nothing more we can do for her. Please do not run away from us, Kabbu. Just tell us the truth, whatever it is, we can take it."

"I just don't think that this is the best time for us to be talking about a possible courtship when our friend is dying in the bed over there."

"On the contrary, we think this is the perfect time to do this. If you do not have an answer for us, then you must not know how you feel for us, right? This whole messed up situation can spawn something good, we only truly realized what it was that we felt for you, when we thought you had died. We don't want you to have to experience the same tortures that we went through with your near death, nor do we want to risk one of us actually dying and the other missing their chance. Also, we don't want to think about this either, but if Vi still doesn't make it after the doctor has seen her, then it will be just the two of us. Leaving this unresolved would be bad if that happened. It could make things incredibly awkward between us and ruin our working relationship, or it could push us together, and as we said before, we only want to be with you if  _ you _ want to. If the situation pushed us together because we only felt we had each other and it was not your true feelings that made you get involved with us, we would not be able to enjoy it."

"Leif...you are correct. I am unsure if what I feel for you is friendly love, or perhaps I see us all as a little family and it is familial love, or if it is something more than either of those. I have never stopped to consider it before. It never mattered to me before."

"Well then, shall we help you sort out your feelings? How would you feel if you saw Vi dating someone?"

"Huh? H-How is that supposed to help?"

"Humor us."

The beetle paused, looking to the bee in the bed for a, eyes hardening as he imagined the scenario.

"Well, instinctively I would be terrified. I would panic and worry whether or not her partner was a good person, or if their relationship was healthy on both ends. Of course, I would also have the feeling of not wanting her to date, she is only 16 after all. She is so young! But I realize that with all we have been through, she is probably more of an adult than we give her credit for, and that I would be afraid she would leave us for this partner. I suppose that means I have some kind of abandonment issues I need to work on, if the mere thought of her dating invokes such fear in me."

Leif nodded sagely, almost like he had expected Kabbu to respond in such a way.

"Good, now, how would you feel if it were us? Can you picture us getting involved with someone else and how that would make you feel?"

"If you had a..partner… I believe I would feel much the same way. I would worry that you were drifting away from Vi and I. I would probably be even more worried for you though, I know you and Vi can both take care of yourselves, but I still worry. At least with Vi, I worry more for how she would treat her partner, rather than the reverse. But with you, I would worry if they were treating you right. I would worry about whether or not they were a good fit for you. You deserve someone who is going to understand you, and accept you for everything that you are, your habits and interests, all of it. You are a wonderful person Leif! So I would want to make sure your partner knew that and fully appreciated everything that they were getting with you, and if they weren't taking it seriously or were treating you less than you deserve, then I would be quite cross."

"...But would you be upset to  _ see _ us with someone else? Say everything was perfect, we found the perfect partner who did all the things you feel they should, and you saw how happy we were together. What would you think and how would you feel?"

"Why, I would be happy for you of course! You have suffered so much, you deserve something good in your life Leif! How could I feel anything other than happy for you?"

"No, picture it Kabbu. Close your eyes and picture it. How do you feel?"

Kabbu sighed as Leif put a hand over his eyes, forcing him into darkness. He could see it, Leif smiling, maybe even laughing, with Muse at his side. He could see how much lighter his friend seemed, as if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. And he was happy to see that. He was happy for him. Really. He knew he was. 

Leif had seemed to feel better with him and Vi too. Appearing to get taller and more sure of himself with each adventure. More comfortable and happy with time, as he began to smile tiny but real smiles around them. But nothing like this. Here, Leif looked absolutely radiant. He was shining like a star, so far away yet beautiful and full of life all the same. 

Somewhere he couldn't reach, or touch or interact with, but he could always see. And it hurt. God, why did it hurt? He was happy for him! He  _ wanted  _ Leif to have that, that happiness and security and light! So why, beneath the happiness he felt, did pain and immense sadness dwell?

He didn't even realize he was crying until he felt Leif's hand shift from covering his eyes to gently wiping the tears from his eyes. 

"Kabbu…"

"I would be happy for you! I promise! I want you to have nice things Leif! You truly deserve them! I promise! I just...I don't know why the thought of  _ seeing  _ you so far from my reach hurts. Does that make me a horrible bug? Because while I would be happy for you, I would also feel like crying. Like just beneath all the joy, the urge to cry and wail is strong and constant. I don't..I don't get it. I don't want you to go! But I also want you to have those things!"

"...Tell us Kabbu. Do you trust us? Do you feel safe around us? Completely at ease and happy?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course I do. You  _ know  _ I do Leif. Why would you even ask?"

"You are an incredibly honest and open person Kabbu, but we are not. We are...shy, closed off, wary. Yet we feel all those things with you. Sometimes, it is just that simple. We can see all of your good qualities and your bad ones, and we are unbothered by them. We feel warm, safe and happy with you. We trust you completely, with everything, with what we are as well as or interests and health. It makes us want to stay with you, forever. We want to be closer to you, and we have even grown fond of your appearance. Whether we have just come out of a tough battle and you are covered in filth and grime, or if you have just washed off and your shell is shining. That is how we know. So tell me, what do you think it all means for you?"

For him...well, that he was afraid of being alone for one. That he clung to Leif and Vi, and needed them just as much as the reverse was true. That they were  _ safety _ and  _ happiness _ , just as Leif had said for himself. He treasured them both and never wanted to let them go. But what about Leif personally? What did he think of him? 

Well, he knew for sure that Leif was a trustworthy figure, both in battle and out of it. He was both a really cool guy and a total sweetheart when he wanted to be. His mysterious outer appearance, his love of all things cute, even his interest in that silly card game. It was all Leif, and he didn't have a problem with any of it. 

As for his looks, well, he supposed he could say that Leif was handsome. He was definitely one of the most unique looking moths he'd ever met. For starters, he'd never seen a blue moth before Leif, and he had to admit, that captivated him at first. But now he had grown used to it, and it was just another part of who Leif was. Light blue skin like the sky above, dark blue wings like the night or sea, that was Leif. 

But if he had grown so comfortable and reliant on the other bug, and hated the thought of him being with another, what did that mean for him? He loves Leif dearly, feels pain and sadness at the thought of Leif being happy with someone else, and his heart races when Leif gives him such personal attention and compliments. It was a surprise every time, but it also felt nice. Physical contact with Leif felt good too, the hand holding, the hugging, everything sent his heart pounding and heat to his face, but in an exciting way, not a fearful one. 

"I..I think it means...that I uh, that I...want you for myself." The words were soft, hesitant, but the eyes that met his own were sure and strong.

"Hnng!"

Leif had definitely not expected to hear  _ that _ . He had a feeling that Kabbu would return his affections, purely based off of his answer earlier of feeling pain and sadness at the thought of him being with someone else. But he expected him to say something adorable, like 'I  _ like-like  _ you too.' Or something equally soft and cute. But THAT. Oh boy, that did things to Leif's chest that he still wasn't entirely sure about. 

"L-Leif! Are you alright?! Does your chest hurt?! Did I say something wrong?" 

The beetle screeched, hands flying up to brush aside the large blue wings obscuring his view of his friend's body, frantically searching for an injury that he may have sustained in the battle against that beast earlier, but found nothing. But, if there was no injury, why was Leif clutching his chest and bent forward as if in pain?

"We are fine Kabbu, sorry for the scare, you just...startled us is all."

"...Oh. Okay."

Of course Kabbu hadn't meant it  _ that  _ way. He was far too innocent for that. Especially considering the circumstances at hand and the fact that he was still unsure of his feelings.

"Kabbu, may we try something?"

"Hm? What is it?"

"A kiss. We would like to try kissing you. You believe you want to date us because you do not want anyone else to have us. A kiss would help confirm or deny that belief. So, are you willing to try?"

"O-Oh. I see...Yes, I uh, I believe I can do that."

"We see. Thank you Kabbu."

As he spoke, his hand slid over to cup the green one's cheek in his hand, his large white eyes calmly gazing deep into the shorter bug's. Full of love and gratitude that words simply could not do justice to, the moth slowly leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to the tense and still Kabbu.

It wasn't anything invasive or intense, but it still brought forth such burning in Kabbu's face, and sent his heart thundering in response. He couldn't help but shiver at the feeling. 

A few seconds passed before Leif leaned back and gently caressed the scarab's cheek. 

"So? Did that help clear things up?"

"Y-Yes. I believe it did. That was quite illuminating Leif, thank you. Now I can say for certain that I definitely do  _ not  _ want you...to be with anyone else in this manner. I-I love you too Leif, not just as a friend."

Despite already having a feeling Kabbu liked him back, hearing him say he didn't want him sent fear striking through him like a bolt of lightning, only to be quickly assuaged by the relieving balm that were those three 3 magic words. 

Leif couldn't help but step into the other's space and envelope him in arms and wings.

"Venus Kabbu, did you have to say it like that? You really had us going there for a minute."

"Hehehe, sorry Leif."

The two shared a good chuckle and smile. The tension slowly escaping their bodies and leaving them feeling drained and ready to call it a day and head to bed themselves. But, that still wasn't an option, not until Vi was safe. 

"H-Hey, Leif?"

"Hm?" Came the lazy reply. It seemed the moth was content to just rest his cheek on top of Kabbu's head and and nap standing up, thankfully he was careful to avoid his horn of justice.

"Can..can we kiss again? It seems a little unfair that I made you do all the work and didn't reciprocate, especially knowing you already knew you liked me."

A sound that could only be described as a mix of a chuckle and a fond scoff, made its way out of Leif's lips.

"We've only been dating for a minute, and already you are concerned with whether or not you are treating me fairly. You really are a saint Kabbu."

"O-Oh hush. I've told you before, haven't I? Don't you with my concern for you, it is as large and unstoppable as my drive to deliver justice. Now, you may tease me all you want later, but for this minute, may I please kiss you?"

"We would like nothing more." 

As their mouths molded together, eyes sliding shut and blocking out the world as they focused on only each other, Leif let out a pleased sigh, causing Kabbu to hum in pleasure as well. Short green arms began to wind around thin blue hips, as he leaned up into the kiss further, they heard a short of disgust.

"Oh gross, seriously? What, does the thought of your teammate dying just do it for you or something, losers? How sick. I don't know why the queen even bothered. I could have been putting on a show, but no, instead I'm sent to find a doctor for your little friend, while you two get to just sit around sucking face."

Kabbu squeaked in shame as he all but jumped out of his shell, pulling away from the kiss to turn wide eyes to Team Mothiva.

Meanwhile, Leif sent a chilling glare at the rude poodle moth, an orb of ice magic dancing across his palm in warning.

"Come now Mothiva, fetching the best doctor we could find is sure to increase the Queen's favor for you, so it wasn't a waste of time." Zasp reprimanded gently, as he was unwilling to go any further to chastise her.

The female moth hummed in consideration, her arms increasing and moving to her hips.

"That's true. Perhaps she will realize we are the better team now."

"Enough of your pettiness Mothiva, did you actually find a doctor who can help Vi, or not?" Questioned the blue one.

"Ugh. Of course I did. I wouldn't be here otherwise, I don't exactly like you guys you know?"

In that moment, Zasp leaned out the door and motioned for someone to enter, and in came a very panicked Isau. Ah, yes, she did say that petal would help her create a medicine that could help a lot of people, and for cheap too.

"My goodness! She really is banged up. Please, will one of you come assist me? And the rest of you, clear out, we will need room."

"Not it, I did my job, I got her here. Come on Zasp, let's go tell the Queen that we accomplished her request." Spoke Mothiva, as she swiftly vacated the area.

Zasp nodded sympathetically at the two, before immediately following after her like the simp he was.

"We aren't sure what to do, but if you instruct us, we will help you. Kabbu, please go wait outside so we have room to work."

Was what Leif said, but what he meant was  **_Kabbu, we know you don't want to see her like this, so we will help the good doctor while you go wait outside and relax._ **

"Very well, thank you Leif, Doctor. I will get out of your way."

As the beetle scurried off, the doctor had already thrown the blanket off the bee and to the floor, her hands gliding over the small body as she took in the damage.

One of her antennae was crushed, hanging pimply in her face and seemingly irreparable, such was also the case with her wings. They had been pinned at an odd angle, and crushed under all that weight; if she lived through this, she may never fly again, mostly on her left side. 

It looked like when the boulder fell, she tried to protect her right side, leaving her left side in a far worse state. Both her arms were shattered, as if she raised them to take the brunt of the damage. She also had minor cuts and bruises littering her tiny frame, but those weren't as important as fixing the broken bones and assuring that there was no nervous or cerebral damage.

So the doctor got to work, assessing the damages while she had Leif use the tools and salves that she brought with her to take care of the minor problems. 

"It's no good, I cannot properly assess her condition here, I need all my equipment and I had to leave the heavier things back at my lab. Not to mention the fact that I may not be able to repair her arms at all even if she is cognitively sound and able to pull through this. She might end up needing metallic replacements."

"So, what are you saying doctor? That we should just give up because she is too damaged to make it?"

"Oh no, I am not saying that at all. You three helped me to get my dream of helping others within reach. I am going to do all I can for this child, and then some. I am simply saying that we need to stabilize her first and then move her back to my office. She may also need to stay with me for a bit after this, so I can help her with physical therapy. But she  _ will _ pull through this, she is too strong to give up and she and I are both far too stubborn to stop trying."

The butterfly smiled gently at Leif to calm his nerves, then quickly went into business.

"Now, help me lift her so I can check the extent of the damage done to her back."

And so, the two spent a good couple hours scoping out the injured areas on the teen's body and repairing what they could to ensure her survival. After they had done all they could, they called Kabbu back in and explained that she needed to be moved and the beetle happily agreed to carry the girl all the way back to the woman's home in the Defiant Root.

They didn't want to jostle the teen, so they had to walk the whole way instead of running, which made it take even longer, but if Vi could survive this horrible night, then it was worth it. By the time they made it to her workshop, all the buildings around them had their lights out, as everyone had closed up shop and gone to bed hours earlier.

"Please put her on the table, I am going to go wake Engira and Butomu, perhaps they will be willing to help me. You two may go home for the night, it is very late after all, and I understand you have had an incredibly stressful day."

"Actually Doctor, would it be alright if we stayed?"

The woman stopped and gave Kabbu a gentle smile.

"I am sure you are worried about your teammate, but to be perfectly honest, you would only be in the way here. Besides, you two need your rest to ensure your own health remains well. So please, go home and come back tomorrow."

"Oof! So blunt!"

Leif nodded at the woman and thanked her for her hard work, before placing a hand on Kabbu's shoulder and steering him out of the building.

"Come on Kabbu, Isau is right. We are both exhausted, and we would be no help here. Besides, we have yet to wash up after being covered in blood. Let's go home."

"Very well."

The two quickly headed for the ant tunnels and made their way to their home, the two each grabbed a rag and headed to the nearest stream for cleaning. The bugs took turns scrubbing the caked on blood off one another, as they could not see or reach every angle on their own bodies and eventually came away clean. 

Once they were done, they washed their rags and made a beeline for their home. Leif quickly climbed up into the middle bunk, only for Kabbu to hesitate at his bed on the bottom.

"What's wrong Kabbu?"

"I am just a tad hesitant to sleep in the same bed that Vi lay in only a couple short hours ago."

"It is covered in blood and dirt. Perhaps you could take her bed for the night."

"No, that's not what's bothering me. I do not mind the grime, and I can't take her bed, it's just…"

As if a crystal had just received power and lit up, Leif seemed to realize the issue.

"Then perhaps we could share our bed. There is plenty of room up here, and after the long day we've had, and the stress of thinking we'd lost you, we could do with some cuddling to make sure you are still with us. What do you say, Kabbu?" 

Kabbu whipped his head up with startled eyes as he responded.

"A-Are you sure Leif? I know you like your space. You've even said before that being so...encased, it reminds you of being back in that spider's web."

The moth only shrugged and moved over to the edge of the bed.

"We are getting used to contact and small spaces. Besides, you are our boyfriend now Kabbu. This comes with the territory. If it is you, we do not mind giving up our personal space."

The deeply touched and ready eyed look that Kabbu shot Leif was more than enough thanks for him, as he leaned over and grasped the shorter bug by horn and began to pull him up into the bed with him. Soon the two were nestled beneath the leafy sheets and cuddled up together tightly, and safely. It didn't take long after that for the two to fall into a deep sleep, and not wake again until midday.

Kabbu was the first to wake up, notice how late it was and gingerly shake Leif awake. The moth, of course, resisted. Opting instead to pull Kabbu further into his chest and nuzzle into the pillow. It wasn't until Kabbu started panicking, nigh crying about Vi, that Leif gave in and opened his eyes. He was quick to calm the beetle, petting his head until he could speak properly again.

Once everything was settled, Leif climbed down and aided Kabbu in descending the bed as well. The two then booked it to the ant tunnels, racing back to the good doctor's office in the Defiant Root, where they frantically rushed in to speak with the butterfly in charge.

Team Snakemouth, however, did not see the woman they expected to right away, but instead saw their teammate, awake albeit barely.

"Oh my goodness, Vi! You're awake!" Cried the scarab, as he sped over to wrap his arms around her. 

"We were so worried about you! Thank Venus you're alive!" 

"Ugh! K-Kabs, too tight." Her voice was hoarse, from disuse as well as the damage she suffered, so quiet and barely intelligible.

"AH! My apologies!" As he released the girl, placing her gently back on the bed, the two locked eyes.

"Kabbu."

"Y-Yes Vi?"

"Whatever you were gonna pay me, you better double it." She said with a serious frown.

Laughter erupted in the room, as well as tears, as Kabbu was overcome with emotion. He was so relieved that she was alive, but also sad at seeing her in such a pitiful state. She was a mere shadow of her normal strong and confident self, and that hurt to see.

Leif silently stepped up, wrapping an arm around Kabbu and pulling him to himself softly to give the beetle a place to hide his face and cry freely.

"We are glad to see you doing better as well, Vi."

The bee tried her best to scoff, as she muttered out a "Barely." with as much attitude as she could muster.

It was then that Isau wandered in, looking sleepy but relieved as well.

"Yes indeed, she's a real trooper, this one. There were a couple times I worried we'd lost her. But she managed to prove me wrong every time. Unfortunately, I couldn't do everything I wanted for her. Before I could go about pestering Butomu to provide Engira with the materials needed to build her two new arms, I needed to get her permission, but when I asked her, she refused."

Kabbu and Leif both startled at this information, turning in unison to face their friend.

"Vi, is this true?"

"Yeah Vi, We thought you would have agreed as soon as you woke up. The sooner you are back in top form, the sooner you can return to amassing your desired fortune."

Vi only blinked lethargically, as she gave the two a flat glare.

"Just 'cuz she can't fix mine, doesn't mean they can't be fixed."

The two males seemed confused, but after a moment they realized what she was talking about, and nodded at her.

"We see, Isau, is it possible for us to take her home with us? We believe she will be more comfortable there."

"Y-Yes! We appreciate all you have done for her, but we don't want to take up more of your time. I'm sure you were up all night taking care of her. And perhaps we will even be able to convince her to get the new arms."

The woman looked unconvinced, but whether it be because she was tired or because she needed the room in her clinic to be freed up, she gave her consent. The butterfly wished the team well, waving at them as Kabbu lifted the teen once more while Leif bowed to her and left. As soon as the team had the chance, they made their way to the nearest Venus bud.

Perhaps a goddess could fix Vi's arms, sure if it worked it would be difficult to explain to everyone how her arms were repaired, but that was something to worry about later. As long as Vi was all better, that was all that mattered. 

The very second they made it to one of her buds, Kabbu prepared to explain the situation, while Leif began to fish out the 5 berries needed to pay the Goddess. Though they were all surprised when the bud spoke first in a frantic yet serious voice.

"I've heard everything already! Please place Vi as close as possible, the closer the better!"

Kabbu quickly propped Vi in front of himself and held her still for Venus to blow her magic healing all over the bee. As soon as she was done, they all waited with baited breath, anxious to see how she was doing. 

The reaction was almost instant, as the bee was filled with energy once more. Sadly, she was unable to repair the girls arms and antennae. 

"I'm sorry Team Snakemouth, I can heal any cut or bruise or external injury, but I cannot repair shattered or crushed appendages. You should be able to fly again however. Your wings were in very poor shape, but they should be fine now."

Normally Vi would be sassy and gripe about paying for such a shoddy service, but it seemed like she was just happy to be able to stand and talk on her own again. 

"It is okay Venus, we understand."

"Yes Venus, thank you! I'm sure you did all you could to help her. Leif, please pay the good Goddess."

"Oh, no, please. This one is on the house. I only wish I could do more. Please take care Vi, I really hope you can get better. I have heard talk of some bugs experimenting with cutting each other open and repairing the insides, as well as bugs who can replace missing limbs entirely. Perhaps one of them can help you."

Vi, who was busy flying around and testing out her wings, landed next to Kabbu. 

"Nah, don't worry about it Venus. I'll figure it out. Hey Kabbu, is my antenna better? Or is that still messed up too?" 

"Uh, it appears to be a little um, rumpled still."

"Huh, so I may need to get that fixed too. Ugh, you are totally paying for everything Kabbu. If it wasn't for you wanting to take that low paying job, I wouldn't be in this mess anyway."

"M-My apologies! Of course, I will pay for everything!"

"Vi, stop picking on Kabbu. He was truly distraught over you, and he blamed himself the whole time. We will still help pay for what you need of course, you are a valued member of this team and we do care for you. But do not tease Kabbu about blame."

The bee grumbled and nodded apologetically, as she said she was going to go talk to Butomu and Engira about whether or not she needed fully mechanical arms or just mechanical parts in her arms and antenna. 

Kabbu, being the gentleman that he was, immediately offered to escort her, just in case. Seeing as the bee could not use her arms at all and thus could not throw or even hold her beemerang, she begrudgingly accepted. All the while, Kabbu reassured her that he knew she was strong and could take care of herself. While Leif himself offered to go speak to the Queen and let her know how Vi was doing.

Leif's meeting with the Queen went well, as Elizant the 2nd was quite pleased to hear Vi's condition had improved and requested the girl make an appearance before her as soon as she possibly could. Meanwhile, Vi and Kabbu were happy to find that Engira and Isau had indeed been experimenting with putting metal parts inside damaged limbs to repair them.

Although, they hadn't had many willing bugs to perform the operation on, so they were unsure of how well it would work. So, they struck a deal, they would perform the operation on her for free, as long as she gave them updates on how well the fixes were performing. And with that, the teen underwent the procedure and the next day, began physical therapy with Isau and Engira. 

It took around 30 days of therapy before the girl was even allowed to  _ hold _ a beemerang again. And 30 more before she was finished with therapy and allowed to perform small requests and missions again. But with the mechanical enhancements in her arms and her antenna, she was stronger than ever. She found she was throwing her weapon even farther and harder than she was before, and dealing more damage to boot. 

All in all, she was quite pleased with how things had turned out for her, even going so far as to say that she should have gotten herself injured like this ages ago, much to Kabbu's horror. 

And speaking of Kabbu, he was happier than ever. Knowing that Vi was alright and that Leif fully intended to stay with him until the day he perished, it meant that he no longer had to worry about his team moving on without him and leaving him. He also quite enjoyed the new physical side of Leif, Kabbu himself was a very affectionate person, both verbally and physically, he was what most would call 'a hugger' and the fact that Leif now not only accepted but initiated hugs and like, well Kabbu was just tickled pink about it all.

And Leif? Suffice to say he had everything he could ever want or ask for. A home, good friends, a job he truly enjoyed and believed in, a good Queen, and the perfect partner. He was safe, happy and loved. 

Finally, things had returned to normal and the Snakemouth team, no, the Snakemouth  _ family _ was at peace, as they sat around in their home. Normally, Leif would be the one sitting and playing with Chompy, but currently the moth found himself seated with Kabbu in his lap as he wrapped his wings around the both of them and sorted through his Spy Card collection.

"Jeez, I swear, I'm never going to get used to seeing you two like this. It's just weird."

"Deal with it Vi, we are quite comfortable and do not intend to stop. Ever." 

"N-Now Leif, be nice. If seeing us displaying affection makes her uncomfortable, then we should try to be a bit more courteous, this is  _ her _ home as well." 

"Yeah, and if it weren't for me and my connections to the hive, you never would have even had the chance to buy this place, so watch it you  _ love bugs _ ."

"L-Love bugs?!"

As Kabbu blushed in embarrassment and hid his face in his hands, Leif only rolled his eyes and laid his chin upon the beetle's head, whispering comforting to him about how she was only  _ teasing _ . 

Yes, things had changed a bit, but in all the ways that things mattered, they were finally all back to the status quo. And the team found they were all happier for it.

**THE END**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for sticking it out till the end. I super appreciate it. Kabbu is a precious baby and I adore him with all my heart, and Leif is super cool and cute too, and I love them both. So I had to write at least 1 thing for them. I just didn't think I would write something so long and bad for them.
> 
> Anyway, Happy Valentines Day guys!


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